Fall Sparks
by sasuke12234
Summary: This is a rewrite of my modern AU!Makorra stories, Take a Bow and The Next Step. I came up with a better idea that would seem a lot better for the krew than my last one. I hope y'all like it. It's mostly Athletic!Korra love, but with some Makorra at the end.
1. Chapter 1

_The List_

May at Republic City High was like any other high school; seniors getting ready for graduation and college, juniors standing ready to take over the school, and fall sports putting together their summer camps. Football was the sport for fall when school started back each year, and the sign up list was always the talk of the school in May.

"Hey Mako, guess what I heard." A classmate yelled out as he walked up to Mako and Bolin in the back courtyard of the school.

"What?" Mako asked as he looked up from his binder.

"You know that new girl that transferred here like two months ago? The one that Asami always hangs out with." The boy asked as he stuffed his hands in his Letterman jacket.

"You mean Korra?" Bolin asked after taking a bite from his lunch.

Mako gave Bolin a look that made him jump slightly and swallow his food before mumbling an apology. "I know _of_ her, but I don't know her." Mako said as he looked back up at the classmate. "Why do you bring it up?"

"Well, word is she signed up for the football summer camp." The boy said with a slight humorous chuckle.

"Are you serious?!" Bolin said in complete shock. "Can she do that?"

Mako looked back at his brother and shrugged. "Yeah, coach can't turn her down since there's not a girls' football team. It's some kind of rule all schools have to follow. But, I still don't see the big deal in this." Mako said, looking back up at the boy who gave them the news.

"Well, I thought you might want to know since you'll be the Senior Captain next year and you'll be helping Coach with the camp." The boy shrugged. "Also, I heard that Coach looked at her transcript from her old school and turns out that she was the top of her school's athletic program, and could possibly take your position."

Mako shrugged and turned back to his class work, showing that he was done with the conversation. "If she gets my position, then I won't care as long she gets it fairly. Besides, she has to survive the camp first and I've seen guys three times bigger than me quit after the first day."

"You seem pretty sure about that, but ok." The boy shrugged before walking away.

Bolin looked at his brother for a moment before he felt it was right to speak. "Hey Mako, are you sure you're ok with this? I have gym with Korra, she's tough and maybe it would be a good idea if you or I talk to her about backing out. I mean, a girl on a football team, that just spells trouble."

Mako cut his eyes up to his brother. "We'll see after the camp." He then turned back to his binder and started to write in his notes. "Besides if she does make it, Coach will most likely make her a kicker."

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><p>Korra was standing at her locker, packing her messenger bag with the things she needed to take home for the night. Right before she could reach in her locker to get one of her binders, her door slammed shut, making her freeze in shock.<p>

"Football Korra, really?!" Asami scolded as she looked at her friend.

"You do know my hand was about to go in there, right?" Korra responded as she stared at her friend's hand on her locker door.

"Yes, now answer my question please." Asami said as she rolled her eyes and dropped her hand.

"Ok, I'm guessing the word about me signing up got out." Korra said as she straightened her messenger bag and started to walk with Asami.

"Of course it got out. The list is on the coach's classroom door, where everyone can see it. Why football? There's Volleyball, Dance Team, Cross Country, and Softball – you love Softball! Why not Softball?" Asami asked, her tone slightly rising as she continued her questioning. "I even said you could cheer with me, the coach knows you go to tumbling classes with me and said she would be happy to give you a private try-out if you asked."

Korra just looked at her friend with a confused look. "Are you sick or something because you're not acting like yourself?"

"Korra!" Asami said sternly.

"Ok sorry. Look, I've done the other sports at my old school and wanted to try something new. Volleyball was fun, I still love Softball, didn't like Cross Country, and you know I dance during the summer at a studio. Also, you can tell your coach I said thanks, but no thanks. I tried Competition my freshman year and hated it when we were at school because I was the only one who wasn't a by-the-book Cheerleader." Korra tried to explain herself the best she could, still not understanding why the situation was a big deal. "Besides, next year's my senior year and I want to try something new. I played on the youth football team in elementary school and thought it was fun. I know high school football will be a lot different from that, but my parents already said that if I want to do it, they're ok with it as long as I don't look for any special treatment."

"But have you talked to the football coach yet? You know, to get his input on the idea of you trying out." Asami asked, the look of worry still on her face.

"Of course I did, I had to before signing up." Korra said as she looked at Asami. "He tried to talk me out of it. But you know how I am, once my mind is set you can't change it. Also, he couldn't turn me away or else he would've had the school board on his ass if they found out."

Asami looked at her friend. "The camp is going to be hard. It's made some big guys cry before."

"I know. I've heard the stories. I can do it." Korra responded confidently.

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><p>Feedback is greatly loved and highly recommended.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

_The Window._

"We're home!" Bolin yelled as he and his brother walked into their home, Mako locking the door behind them.

"In the kitchen." A woman's voice yelled back.

Bolin dropped his book bag in the entryway and walked through the open living room and into the kitchen. Mako followed close behind, picking up his brother's book bag and setting it in one of the cushioned chairs in the living room.

"Hey dad, watch are you watching?" Mako asked as he stood beside his father and looked at the TV screen.

"College playoffs started early this year. I thought you had practice after school?" Mako's father, Yanlin said as he looked back at his son and noticed he wasn't wearing his practice uniform.

Mako sat down on the arm of the couch and glued his eyes to the baseball game on the screen. "I did, but coach got sick and canceled so Bo and I stayed after to get an early start on football conditions." Mako then cursed under his breath and crossed his arms when the batter on the screen swung out.

"Mako." Yanlin said as he glared at his eldest son for a moment.

Mako looked down at his father with a confused look and took a moment to realize what he did. "Oh, sorry."

"So Bo said that the neighbor's daughter signed up for football camp today. Did she really?" The boys' mother, Moriko asked as she crossed her arms and rested against the kitchen doorway.

"You're kidding. Tonraq said she was thinking about it, but wasn't sure if she would go through or not." Yanlin said a little surprised. "Why don't you go over and give her a few pointers?" He laughed as he swatted Mako on the leg. "Out of everyone, you're the only one who hasn't gone over and introduced yourself to the new neighbors."

Mako just shook his head at his father and stood up and grabbed his book bag. "No thanks. I'll be upstairs, I have a paper to finish writing." He said as he headed toward the stairs.

His parents just watched him leave the living room before Moriko decided to speak. "What is with that boy? He used to be so sociable when he was younger."

"He's just getting himself ready for senior year." Yanlin said as he sat back and looked through the channel guide.

"I think he's really worried about everyone saying that Korra might take his spot on the team." Bolin said as he walked up beside his mom with a donut in his hand.

"Why are you eating that? I'm cooking dinner." His mother snapped when she looked at Bolin.

"But I'm hungry." Bolin said in his defense as he hesitated to take a bite, to only have his mother take it away from him.

"You're always hungry." Moriko said as she scolded her son.

"But mom, I'm a growing-."

"I know, I know, 'You're a growing boy'. I've heard it countless of time. Now if you're so hungry, go set the table." She retorted as she pointed into the kitchen. Bolin slumped his shoulders as he walked away to do what he was told.

Upstairs, Mako walked into his room that was a complete opposite from his brother's. His bed was made with the pillows all in there spot, his floor was clean – no stain to be seen on his floor rug -, and all his table tops were clutter free. He set his book bag in its spot beside his desk before sitting in his chair and turning on his desktop. After setting up his computer and pulling up his paper, Mako heard yelling from outside his window. He turned his chair to the side and looked at a window across from his that only showed a dresser and half it's mirror, the end of a bed with a blue comforter, and part of a door.

In the room, from what Mako could see, a white dog jumped on the bed and instantly lied down, as it seemed to wait for something or someone. Someone then walked into view of the window and petted the waiting animal. The person ended up being Korra, with a smile on her face like all the other times Mako saw her in her room. She turned her head toward where she came in and seemed to be yelling something. She then patted her pet's head once more before walking toward the partly shown door and taking off her t-shirt, showing off the back of her white sports bra.

That was Mako's cue to give his neighbor her privacy. He pushed himself up from his chair and walked to his window and pulled his curtains to the center.

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><p>Feedback is greatly loved and highly recommended.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

_The First Day._

The summer sun was hot as usual that morning. Everyone was on the practice field at 8 in the morning on the dot like they were told to be. Korra was sitting on the ground tying her shoes and talking to some of the guys that she made friends with before the camp.

The coach's whistle instantly caught everyone's attention and they all ran to the middle of the field. "Okay everyone," he shouted out so that all the people there could hear, "these two here beside me are your senior captains, Mako and Hasook." The coach motioned over to the two boys standing next to him, both wearing football shirts from the previous year and gym shorts with their school's initials on them. "These two have the most experience on the team and if you have any questions, ask them. Now, all of you will split and follow their orders for conditioning – seniors and juniors with Mako, and sophomores and freshman with Hasook. This camp is not going to be easy and if you feel you can't continue, just leave or don't show up for the next day. Now everyone get up and split in your groups and wait for orders from your captains." The coach said before blowing his whistle to dismiss everyone.

"Korra, a moment." The coach said before Korra could run off to her side of the field.

Korra nodded her head and ran towards him. "Yeah coach?"

"Last chance, if you don't think you can go through with this, you can leave. No one's going to go easy on you just because you're a girl." The football coach said as he looked down at her and crossed his arms.

Korra just smiled. "Thanks for worrying, but I'll be fine. Athletics and I have a good relationship."

"Okay then." The coach said as he pushed his hat back. "Go line up with your group. You'll be doing an Indian run three times around the campus." He finished as he pointed to the line of seniors and juniors.

Korra nodded her head before running over to her group and joining in right behind Mako. When he noticed that Korra had join the group, Mako yelled out for the person in front to start running. After the first lap, Korra found herself getting close to the end of the line. She looked up at Mako in front her and then over at the field to find his brother doing football drills.

"So, um, your Mako, Bolin's brother, right?" Korra said, trying to start a conversation. After not getting a response from Mako, Korra looked down at her feet and to the side for a moment. "Um, I'm Korra. My family moved in next door to yours a while back. Bolin's talked about you some. I thought maybe over the summer the three of us could get together and hang out. I can even invite my friend Asami, Bolin said you two had a class together before."

"I don't like to talk and run, so can you be quiet? Besides, you should be going to the front right by now." Mako said without looking at her.

Korra angrily pursed her lips as she looked up at the back of Mako's head. "Jerk." She said as she ran past him.

* * *

><p>"So what did you think of your first day?" Bolin asked Korra as he sat next to her on the ground. It was now five o'clock and the camp was over. The day was long and hot, making some kids, mainly the freshman, throw up on the field or pass out from working too hard.<p>

"It was good. Will it just be conditioning all day tomorrow as well?" Korra asked as she looked over at him.

"I don't know, maybe." Bolin shrugged as he looked at his water bottle. "I would have to ask Mako. Him, Hasook, and the coach are the only ones that really know the plan for the summer." He finished before gulping down what was left in his water bottle.

"Oh yeah, about your brother. What is his up his butt? He's been a huge jerk this whole day." Korra said with and angry face.

Bolin just looked down at her and blinked his eyes for a moment. "Well, he's not really a jerk. He just gets really serious when doing workouts. Besides, he's a Senior Captain this year, there's a lot of pressure on him."

"Well, that still doesn't give him a reason to act like a jerk just when I'm saying hi and introducing myself." Korra said as she picked up her vibrating phone from the grass.

Bolin then got up from the ground when he saw his brother's black SUV pull up. "Hey, if you want, Mako and I are going to grab a bite to eat. You can follow us and see that he's not really as jerky as you think." Bolin suggested as he looked down at his friend.

"Thanks, but I'll pass. Asami just got out of cheer practice and we're going for a run around the school." Korra smiled as she stood up. "Maybe another time."

Bolin nodded and bent down to grab his bag. He ran over to his brother's car and threw his bag in the back seat before climbing into the front. "Is she going home?" Mako asked as he rolled down the windows and turned down the music.

"She's meeting Asami to go on a run around the school." Bolin said as he buckled himself in.

Mako let out an annoyed sigh as he rested his head against his headrest. "You have her number right?" He asked as he looked over at Bolin.

"Yeah." Bolin said looking a little confused.

"Tell her that if anything happens to text you or me and we'll come back. She's not really allowed to be here without the coach or one of the captains being present." Mako said as he turned the music back up and got ready to pull away while Bolin did what he was told. "Also add that she needs to wear a t-shirt and gym shorts tomorrow." He added, addressing the fact that Korra wore tight athletic shorts and a tank top to the camp; her usual tumbling practice uniform.

"What? Why?" Bolin asked shocked as his brother started to pull out of the school parking lot.

"Because it's a distraction to most of the guys." Mako explained calmly.

Bolin just looked at his brother for a moment. "You mean it was a distraction for you." He said with a smile.

Mako stomped on the brake pedal and stopped the car in the middle of the empty road. "Bo, may I remind you that I can kick you out and make you walk."

"Okay, okay. Sorry." Bolin said as he went back to typing the text message to Korra.

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><p>Feedback is greatly loved and highly recommended.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

P_revious Commitment_

With summer half way done, all the sport camps were dwindling down and get ready for their season to start. The football camp, with its attendance now about half of what it started with, ended earlier and have moved on to practicing the plays that they would usually do during games. Around lunch time, Mako was at his car plugging his phone up to charge before his group went on their usual second run of the day. Bolin came running up to the black SUV and jumped in the passenger seat.

Mako pointed his eyes up at his brother after he heard the door open. "What?"

"Did you get a text from Korra?" Bolin asked as he started to charge his own phone.

Mako raised an eyebrow at his brother. "No. I don't have her number and she doesn't have mine, so why would I?

"Because I sent your number to her so she could let you know if she wasn't coming to practice." Bolin shrugged.

"Bolin! Why did you do that?" Mako snapped as he stood straight up.

"Because you're her captain this summer and it wouldn't kill you to have more than three girls' numbers in your phone. I mean, come on Mako. That's really sad for a high school boy." Bolin said as he looked over at his brother. "Also, she's not here and I already asked what was up and she hasn't answered yet." Bolin continued on as he messed with his phone while it was charging.

"Maybe she quit. I don't know and don't care." Mako responded as he closed the driver side door and went to the back to open the hatchback door. He pulled out the small cooler that he usually packs before a practice and pulled out a 32 oz red Gatorade bottle.

"Yeah right." Bolin yelled from the front.

Just around the corner, a noticeable white, unhooded Jeep Wrangler zoomed past the school entrance and toward the make shift parking lot by the practice field. Bolin looked over his shoulder when he heard the car go by. "See she didn't quit." He said as he jumped out of his brother's car, leaving his phone behind to go see Korra. Korra turned off the engine of her car and started to search through her Nike duffle bag that was in the passenger seat.

"Hey Korra, where were you this morning?" Bolin asked as he walked up to the driver side of his friend's jeep. Korra turned her head around to see who was talking to her. Her face had easily noticeable make-up all over it; a dark smoky eye on her eyelids, cheekbones were highlighted with a blush complementary to her skin tone, and a light gloss was on her lips. Bolin looked at her a little confused, trying to make sense of his friend's new look. "Uh, what's with the make-up?"

"Make-up?" Korra repeated a little confused. Her eyes then widened when she realized what Bolin was talking about and pulled down her driver side visor to look in the mirror. "Crap! I forgot to take it off." Korra said shocked. She then jumped out of her seat and leaned over the armrest in the middle and dug through her back seat. She then pulled out a purple, quilted duffle bag with her name embroidered in a Script font on the front. Korra threw the bag in the passenger seat and started to dig through it.

"Uh, Korra, are you ok?" Bolin asked as he continued to look at his friend confused.

"I'm fine." Korra said as she pulled out a matching make-up bag from the duffle, her name on it as well in the same font. She then jumped out of her car, wearing her usual skin tight shorts and work-out tank top. "I just need to take this stuff of before practice. I'll be right back." Korra partly explained before heading toward the school entrance.

About ten minutes later Korra came walking back to her car, her face not completely clean and make-up free. "Hey Korra!" Bolin called out to her as he sat in the back bed of his brother's car, Mako sitting in the front talking on his cell phone. Korra walked over after putting her make-up bag up.

"Hey Bo, sorry about that." Korra apologized as she walked up to him.

Bolin shrugged. "It's ok, but what was up with that? Did you have family pictures this morning or something?" He asked, thinking that would be the only reason why she would look all dressed up like that.

"No, I had a dance competition this morning. I told my coach to do it light and unnoticeable, but she didn't really listen. She even sprayed hair spray on it to make it stay, so I had to get Asami and one of her teammates to help me get it off." Korra said as she wiped her left eye to check if there was any leftover mascara on her.

"Wait, what?" Bolin said confused.

"I had a dance competition this morning. You know like the stuff a school dance team does, but a lot more and with a private studio?" Korra explained, making it as simple as she could.

Bolin shook his head. "No, I get that, but I just didn't pin you as that type of girl."

Korra shrugged. "It's something I've done since I was little. I asked the coach if he was ok with me doing both and he said he would be as long as I gave him a schedule of my practices and competitions."

"Yeah that's how he is with people with previous commitments." Bolin nodded.

"So what did I miss so far?" Korra asked as she sat down in the back of the car with Bolin.

Bolin shrugged. "Not much. We've just been going over plays while some people work on defense and passes."

"So same from yesterday?" Korra asked as she went through her phone real quick to check her messages.

"Yep." Bolin nodded. "Hey, do you want something to drink?" Bolin asked as he started to go through the cooler his brother always packs.

"Sure. What do you have?" Korra said as she put her phone down.

"Water and Gatorade." Bolin answered as he dug through the cooler to pull out a small bottle of water.

"Do you have a red Gatorade?" Korra asked a little excited.

"Yeah, but those are usually Mako's, and they're the really big ones." Bolin said as he shifted his eyes toward his brother to see if he could hear them.

"I don't care." Korra said as she pulled the cooler toward her and took out the last red Gatorade bottle. "In case you haven't noticed, your brother does not scare me." She said as she opened up the bottle.

Toward the front of the car, Mako finished his phone call and got out of the driver's seat. "Hey Bo, what do you want for dinner?" He asked as he walked toward the back.

"Is mom not cooking again?" Bolin asked back.

Mako finally came in view and leaned again the back of the car behind Korra, looking at his phone. "No, she still has a fever and dad's working late. So what do you want?" Mako asked as he looked up from his phone. He then spotted Korra in the back of his car and drinking his drink. "Why is she drinking my Gatorade?" He asked his brother as he pointed at Korra with his phone.

"Because I was thirsty, red's my favorite, and it's a free country." Korra said before drinking the Gatorade to annoy Mako even more.

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><p>Feedback is greatly loved and highly recommended.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

_The First Game_

School was well in session, and football fever was in the air of the hallways as the student body was getting ready for the first home game that was to be played that Friday night. Everyone who were going to take part in the event that night were all dressed up in their usual dress; the cheerleaders and dancers wearing their uniforms over their warm ups and looking game-day ready, the band and color guard members all wearing matching band shirts that involved the theme of their half-time show, and the football team all wearing their jerseys while their coaches were dressed in school issued dress shirts and ties.

Korra was at her locker, putting up her bookbag so she wouldn't have to carry them around during lunch, when her friend Asami walked up. "Hey Korra." Asami said with her usual smile. Korra looked at her and returned the smile. "You look weird in that." She said once Korra closed her locker door and she saw her friend's jersey.

"I could say the same about you." Korra responded as she put her phone in her back pocket and looked at her friend in her cheer uniform and warm up.

"No, I mean isn't that jersey a little too big for you? It's swallowing you whole." Asami said as she started to walk toward the cafeteria with her friend.

Korra shrugged. "It fits when I have my padding on."

"Ok." Asami nodded, accepting her friend's excuse. "Hey, you want to get a group of people together to go out to eat after next Friday's game?"

"Sure. What for though?" Korra asked.

Asami pulled her phone out of her warm-up pants pocket and started to respond to a text message. "Well, a little birdie told me that you won your competition three weeks ago and made it to the state level next Saturday." Asami said as she intentionally bumped into her friend's shoulder and finished her text. "And in my book that's a means for celebration."

Korra rolled her eyes at Asami after the true meaning was revealed. "Let me guess, the little birdie you're referring to is my mother."

"Yep, she posted about it this morning and said how she's so excited that it's only a week away and one of your routines is one you made yourself." Asami said as her and Korra entered the lunch line. Korra rolled her eyes again, letting her friend go on and on with what she wanted to do for the little party she wanted to throw, giving her yes, no, or shoulder shrugged answers to some questions she was asked while they got their food and looked for a place to sit. They soon found an open table with no one sitting at it and sat down. "So what routines qualified you to go through anyway?" Asami asked as they sat down.

Korra thought for a moment, trying to recall what dances she did. "Um, a group freestyle and my Viennese Waltz duet." She said before picking at her food.

"What? What happened to your Contemporary?" Asami asked as she picked at the small salad on her tray.

Korra shrugged. "I found out that another studio was doing a Contemporary routine to the same song as me, so I changed it to stay away from being accused of copying."

Asami nodded in response and then two girls ate their lunch and just continued their casual conversation, going from Korra's competition next Saturday to that night's football game.

Half way through the lunch hour, Korra and Asami were walking around the school, talking about whatever came to mind. Once they were outside to walk the field just outside the school, Korra heard someone yell her name from the field. She turned around and saw Bolin run up to her and Asami and slowly started to walk around the field with them. "You ready for tonight?" He asked his teammate as they walked together.

"Yep." Korra smiled. "I can wait to knock some heads."

"Hey Bo, are you and Mako planning to do anything next weekend?" Asami asked before the two could start a different conversation.

Bolin thought for a moment as he continued to walk with his two friends. "Uh, I'm not. And I doubt Mako does. He usually just goes home after a game."

"Ok." Asami nodded. "Well, do you two want to join Korra and me to go eat after next week's game?"

"Sure!" Bolin said happily with a big grin. "What's the occasion?"

"We're just going out to eat." Korra said without looking at him.

"No!" Asami interrupted as she looked at her friend. "Korra made it to the state level in her dance competition and we're going to celebrate whether she likes it or not."

"What? Korra that's awesome!" Bolin said as he hugged her. "Why wouldn't you want to celebrate? Hey Asami, we should all go and cheer her on at the competition!" Bolin suggested as he let go of his friend.

"Please don't." Korra said under her breath as she regretted on ever agreeing with this party idea her friend had.

"That's a great idea." Asami smiled. "I haven't been to one of her competitions in forever."

"Hey, we should all take Mako's car since his is bigger and just drive down together! It'll be fun!" Bolin suggested again.

"Let's not." Korra said under her breath, slowing her pace a little so she was a few inches behind her over excited friends.

"That's a great idea Bolin! I can spend the night at Korra's and we just go over to your house the next morning." Asami agreed, already looking forward to the plan.

Korra just finally hit rock bottom and slammed her hand to her face, knowing she lost the fight and that the small party Asami suggested before has given birth to a life of its own.

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><p>Feedback is greatly loved and highly recommended.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

_Rooms and Seats_

Asami pulled up on the curve besides Korra's house so not to block the two car driveway for the next day. She got out of her red 2013 Ford Mustang and pushed her seat forward so she could grab her overnight bag. Korra drove her white Jeep right behind Asami and maneuvered around her friend's car so she could pull into her parents' driveway. Korra switched off her car, leaving the neighbor completely quiet after her radio went silent. She jumped out of her Jeep and met Asami at the end of the driveway.

"That's weird. I could've sworn Mako and Bolin were behind me." She said as she looked up and down the street after noticing that Mako's black SUV wasn't in his driveway.

Asami shrugged as she closed her door without putting her seat back upright. "They probably stopped at a drive-thru or something." She said as she walked up the driveway with Korra.

"I thought Mako hated drive-thrus?" Korra asked as she stopped with her hand on the front door knob.

"He does, but Bolin doesn't." Asami said as she walked inside the house with Korra after she opened the door.

The inside of Korra's family home it was very welcoming and warm. The living room was lit with two nightstand lamps and big comfy looking couches lined the walls close to the television that was mounted above the fireplace. The walls to the entrance hallway of the house were covered with family pictures of camping trips, vacations to the Grand Canyon, and Korra as a little baby. Korra went to turn on the stairway light before walking inside the living room to turn off the table side lamps. "I guess mom and dad went to bed already." Korra shrugged as she walked out of the living room and met Asami at the stairs. The two girls then walked up the stairs, the left side of the stairwell lined with a chain of pictures of Korra in different dance outfits – starting when she was six and wearing a red sequin, fringe tap dress and standing in front of a white background, then ending with her about the age she is now and wearing baggy black sweatpants with 'Gotta Flirt' hot pink and black hip-hop shoes – the shoe tongues sticking straight up – that matched her hot pink tank top with her dance studio's logo on it and black sports bra that could be seen from the cut open sides while standing in front of a graffiti back drop.

Asami stopped at the last picture and studied it for a moment. "Is this new?" She asked as she turned back to Korra and pointed at the picture.

Korra took a step up on the stairs and looked at her dance photo. "Oh yeah, kind of. I took it last year before we moved." Korra said as she passed Asami on the stair and walked to her bedroom door, petting her waiting dog, Naga, on the head before opening the door for her. Once the door was open, Naga ran right in and jumped on the queen size bed to lie down in her usual spot on the right side of the bed and her head lying down on a pillow. Korra switched on the light switch and threw her duffle bag in a bare corner of her room. The teen's room was a balanced mix of clutter and organization. While there was nothing but a few bags on the floor, her desk, dresser, and two nightstands were cluttered with little miscellaneous objects. Korra then walked over to her television cabinet and opened the double doors to reveal her moderate sized flat screen, she reached in and grabbed the remote and went to jump on her bed. "Netflix or real TV?" She asked once she sat upright against her headboard.

Asami checked her phone as she put her overnight bag down by Korra's window. "It's late so Netflix. Did we ever finish watching _Dates from Hell_?"

"I don't think so." Korra said as she changed the input on her television so she could access the Wii home page.

As Korra was busy setting up the television, Asami dug through her bag to pull out her pajamas and toothbrush. Once Asami found what she needed and quickly plugged up her cell phone to its charger, she stood up and faced forward. When she looked out Korra's window, she instantly squatted back down. "Oh my god, I hate you." Asami said as she continued to look out Korra's window.

"What? Why? I swear I didn't finish watching it. I haven't even been on Netflix since the last time you were here." Korra started off in defense as she sat up straight and looked over at Asami.

Asami looked at Korra with a thin eyebrow raised. "Not that, this!" She snapped in a harsh tone as she pointed at the window.

Korra looked at her a little confused before climbing off her bed and walking over the window. "What are you talking about?" She asked confused as she looked passed the doubled glass.

"Get down, he'll see you!" Asami snapped as she pulled Korra down to the floor. The brunette haired tomboy let out a small yelp as she was pulled down and rubbed her arm that Asami pulled on as she sat up and looked out the window to see what she was talking about.

"Oh my god." Korra said as her eyes widened and cheeks turned red from embarrassment.

Right across from Korra's bedroom window, the two girls could easily see their friend Mako pace around the room while talking on the phone, stopping a few times at what looked like a desk to check his computer. After a few more paces around the room Mako hung up his phone and put it on a docking charger by his bed and pulled his shirt off as he walked out of view of the window.

"This is so fun. I've never seen Mako shirtless before." Asami said as she continued to look out the window even though the teen was out of sight.

"This is really wrong. Besides, don't you have a boyfriend?" Korra asked as she looked at Asami out of the corner of her eyes.

Asami shrugged. "Yeah, but if you don't tell him about this, then I won't tell Mako that you peeped into his room."

"I didn't till you said something." Korra snapped back.

Asami instantly shushed her. "Be quiet he's coming back!"

Mako walked back in view, wearing only a grey pair of sweat pants and leaving only his back showing as he started to shut down his computer.

"You know, his back is a lot more muscular than I imagined." Asami as she concluded her thoughts on her friend's new appearance.

"You have a boyfriend." Korra reminded her.

"Sue me." Asami snapped.

Mako walked away from his computer once the desktop screen went off, turning enough to show a black tribal sun tattoo on his chest as he walked over to sit on his bed.

"No wonder he's never shirtless! He's inked!" Asami said completely shocked at the new info she was shown.

"I honestly never pinned him as a tribal type of guy." Korra said as she raised an eyebrow at the view.

Asami instantly pulled Korra down with her so that they both couldn't be seen over the windowsill. She then grabbed her phone and started a new conversation on her phone.

"What are you doing?" Korra asked as she tried to look at who her friend was texting.

Asami moved over some so that she could hide her cell phone screen. "Having some fun." She smiled as she continued to type away on her phone.

Over at the neighboring house, Mako was now lying on his bed and just enjoying the peace and quiet. His arms and legs were killing him from the game that night and contemplated on whether to take another pain pill or not so he wouldn't be sore the following morning. When he sat up on his bed to go to his bathroom and take another pain pill, his ringing phone stopped him in his tracks. Mako let out a sigh as he pushed himself up from his seat. "I just want some peace and quiet please." He said to himself as he walked over to his charger to pick up his phone. He picked up his phone and unlocked it to find that he had a new text message from Asami. _'Thinking of getting a tattoo. Where did you get yours?' _Mako looked at the message a little confused, but then just decided to play dumb. _'What are you talking about? I don't have a tattoo.'_ He wrote her back quickly before walking to the bathroom. After he took a second pain pill, Mako's phone started to ring again from another text message from Asami. _'Yes you do. It's a tribal sun on your left peck. Where did you get it? I'm really thinking of getting one after competition season.'_ Asami wrote back, adding a red faced, angry emoji at the end. Mako was a little stunned from the message. No one really knew about his tattoo but his brother and his friends that were with him when he got it. _'Who told you I had a tattoo?!'_ Mako responded back, his temper rising as he started to make a mental list on who to blame for speaking out about his secret. '_Korra.'_ Asami responded with a smiling emoji at the end. Mako's mental list completely went up in smoke with that latest message. He tried to think of times when his neighbor could've seen the tattoo without him knowing, but couldn't think of any moments since he never really took his shirt off and only wore t-shirts to practice. Mako phone then rang once more, dragging him from his thoughts. It was another message from Asami. _'Korra said that if you liked her to just say it to her face and quit peeping in her room like a pervert.'_ That did it. Mako sky rocketed on the embarrassment scale. He instantly stormed over to his window and forced the curtains closed and sent one last message to Asami. _'I don't peep in her room!'_

Asami laughed at the response she received from her friend. "What are you doing?" Korra asked as she tried to look at Asami's phone again.

Asami finally showed the open conversation to her friend. "Having some fun." She smiled as she tilted the phone from side-to-side.

Korra looked at Asami's phone and instantly turned red when she saw Mako's name at the top. She then shot up from where she was hiding and saw that his curtains were drawn. "Asami!" Korra shouted as she looked back down at her laughing friend.

Asami then pulled herself up to look out the window and instantly sat back down and laughed a little harder. "Oh my god. This was just too easy!" Asami laughed before standing up and picking up her stuff to get to the bathroom.

While Asami was getting ready for bed, Korra quickly read the short conversation she had with Mako and instantly felt bad about what happened. She then stood up from the floor and walked over and sat on her bed and grabbed her phone. _'Sorry about Asami. I won't tell anyone about your tattoo. Promise.'_ She wrote quickly to him before plugging her phone up to its charger and started up Netflix.

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><p>The next morning, the sun was barely up and most of the block was still asleep, but as much as she hated it, Korra was wide awake packing her dance bag with what she needed while stuffing down a Pop-tart she grabbed while getting get dance warm-up out of the laundry room. She was sitting in front of her closet door, grabbing her shoes and thrown about underclothes and just stuffed them in her bag. Asami walked out of Korra's single person bathroom, looking fresh and ready for the day as usual with her usual make-up on and her wavy black hair in an easy pony-tail. "You want me to go ahead and do your make-up before we leave?" Asami asked as she looked at herself in Korra's dresser mirror to do a final check of her eye make-up.<p>

"I guess." Korra yawned as she finished packing her bag. "Just do it simple, but with a smoky eye. But not as dark as it was last time." Korra said as she picked up her phone and stood up. As she walked over to her bed and waited for Asami to get her make-up bag out of the small bathroom, Korra checked her phone and found two new messages from her two teammates next door. _'When are you and Asami coming over?'_ Bolin wrote, receiving a short reply from Korra saying that she just had to do her make-up and they would come over. She then read the message from Mako and found it to be sort of the same as Bolin's, but instead of asking when they were coming by, he just said to let him know when they're ready and to keep Asami's mouth shut about his tattoo. Korra replied back with a quick 'ok' and put her phone away when Asami walked out of the bathroom.

Over at the house next door, Mako and Bolin were sitting at the kitchen island eating breakfast while their father sat at the table reading the newspaper, and their mom was making herself a plate of breakfast. "So what time do you two think you'll be home?" Moriko asked as she set her plate down on the kitchen island on the opposite side of her where her two sons were sitting.

"I don't know." Mako shrugged as he kept his head down and continued to eat his food.

Moriko narrowed her eyes at her eldest son's quick response. "Do you have enough gas in your car?"

"Enough to get down there." Mako said as he looked at his phone after it lit up with a new message. "I can get some on the way back." He then ate what he wanted that was left on his plate before getting up and taking it to the sink. "Bo, hurry up. Korra just said that they're about to come over."

"Wait, when did you two start talking?" Moriko asked a little stunned at the change in formality between her son and the neighbor's daughter.

"I gave her his number so she could help me crash his phone." Bolin answered after taking his last bite of his breakfast before getting up and taking his plate to the sink.

"Now why would you do that after just getting in trouble for doing it before?" San, his father, asked as he snapped his paper down to look at his youngest son.

Bolin shrugged. "We were bored in class and it seemed like fun."

"Yeah, well it was stupid." Mako said before walking back to his seat to grab his jacket. "Now come on."

"Will you let me know when you two get there?" Moriko said quickly after Mako walked across the threshold of the kitchen. Mako yelled back a non-enthusiastic 'sure' before calling for his brother to hurry up. Bolin gave his mother a quick good-bye before kissing her cheek and walked out of the kitchen. The gold-eyed woman let an annoyed pout appear on her face, a little frustrated that she let her boys walk out without getting full answers to all her questions.

"You worry too much." San said after seeing his wife's look and going back to his paper.

"Excuse me?" Moriko snapped as she turned her look to her husband.

San snapped his head up and looked at her like a deer in headlights. "Your hair looks pretty." He said quickly, a basic defense mechanism he grew into after they married.

Mako and Bolin both walked outside through the garage, Mako unlocking his car once they walked through the door. "It's about time." Asami said once she saw the brothers walk out.

"Sorry, mom went crazy with questions." Bolin apologized as he walked to his brother's car and went straight to the back door on the driver's side.

After seeing the doors were unlocked, Asami went over the back door on the passenger's side. "What are you doing?" Korra asked before Asami could open the door.

"Getting in. What does it look like?" Asami said as she raised an eyebrow at her friend.

Korra then leaned in some after doing a quick search for the brother's locations. "I don't want to sit in the front with Mako. Not after what happened last night." Korra said in a slight hushed tone.

Asami smiled and let out a small laugh. "And you think he'll be ok with me sitting next to him?" Asami said before opening up the door and getting inside the black SUV.

Korra just pointed an angry look at her friend; who's reply was to just put her headphone buds in her ears and stick her tongue out at her. Beside her, the passenger side window rolled down partway. "Hey, are you getting in or not?" Mako asked from the driver seat before starting the car. Korra rolled eyes and opened up the passenger side door and threw her dance bag in the floor before climbing in.

"You know where you're going right?" Korra asked once she buckled herself, feeling a little uncomfortable where she was.

"Yes." Mako responded as he plugged his phone up to the USB port on his radio so the GPS direction could be heard over the sterio. The car went silent, with only Mako's music on his phone playing, as he pulled out of the driveway and started to head toward the interstate.

During the quiet drive, Korra's cell phone buzzed in her hands and she turned it over and found a text from Asami. _'You two are boring.'_ Korra just had one response for her childhood friend.

'_I hate you right now.'_

* * *

><p>Feedback is greatly loved and highly recommended.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **This chapter came out sooooooooooo much longer than I want it to be. Also, there's a dance in this chapter and if you want to see what it is, go to YouTube and search "Jasmine Meakin Partition". I love Jasmine Meakin, she's the dancer I'm basing Korra on for this series.

* * *

><p><em>Car Troubles<em>

The scenery has changed a good bit since the first day of school. The trees were now changing from dark greens to all kinds of reds and oranges, a perfect setting for the school's annual Fall Break. Only two days into the break, Mako was already left home alone while his brother was on a small trip with a friend and his parents out for a date night. He was walking out his parents' garage and to his car to run some errands his mother left for him to do while she was away. As he walked out to his waiting car, he could hear an engine struggle to start and harm words being mumbled. He looked over to see his neighbor, and teammate, Korra struggle with getting her car started.

After what seemed to be maximum number of time she tried to start up her beaten up Jeep, Korra slammed her hands on the steering wheel and said some harsh words under her breath. She then tried to start her car again, jumping out after it refused to turn over. The teen was wearing a yellow tank top that was cut open on the sides – showing off her zebra print sports bra – and a pair of black drop waist sweat pants with the ends tucked in a pair of black and pink hip hop shoes. Korra walked over to the front of the car and knelt to the ground to try to look under her car to see if there was any kind of leak. When she couldn't find anything that might be the reason why her car wasn't working, Korra pushed herself up and went to start her car again. The engine still refused to turn over, raising Korra's anger even more and causing her to slam the steering wheel again and stream in frustration. "You stupid piece of junk!" She shouted as she got of her car and kicked the front, driver's side wheel.

After seeing her kick the wheel for the third time, Mako decided to intervene before his neighbor hurt herself. "You're going to break your foot if you keep doing that." He shouted from across their yard, making Korra freeze from pooling her foot back.

Korra whipped her head around, her loose hair swinging around with her. Her frustrated look then melted down to a happy one after seeing that it was her football captain that spoke up. "Mako! Thank god your home!" She said as she practically sprinted across the yard to his driveway. "Can you do me a favor?" She asked him after she stopped on the opposite side of the black SUV's hood.

Mako raised an eyebrow at her and spun his keys around his finger. "What kind of favor?" He asked as he stared down at her from across his car.

Korra dropped her arms, not happy on having to explain herself. "I have to be at my dance studio in like twenty minutes and, as you can see, my car won't start. So please give me a ride."

"Why can't you borrow one of your parents' cars?" Mako asked as he continued to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Because they're at work stupid!" Korra shot back as her anger rose.

Mako looked at her, unphased from her outburst as he spun his keys around his finger one more time. "Have fun walking." Mako said, with what seemed like a small smile on his face, as he walked to the driver's side door.

Korra instantly switched from anger to panic mode as she scrambled around the front of the car and stepped in between Mako and then door. "Please! I'm sorry for calling you stupid, but I really need a ride! I can't be late! I'll get in so much trouble if I'm late!" Korra begged as she starred up at her team captain that towered over her.

Mako shifted his weight on the heels of his feet and crossed his arms. "What's in it for me?"

Korra's face dropped. "Who are you, Bolin?" She asked confused about why Mako was bargaining with her like his little brother did.

"Ok then, guess you're walking." Mako said as he started to push Korra out of his way.

"No, no, no wait!" Korra shouted as she pushed back. "I'll clean your cleats for you for the rest of the season!"

Mako raised an eyebrow at her as he crossed his arms again. "No, I don't get mine as dirty as yours."

Korra groaned as she tried to think of another deal to throw at him. "I'll carry your bag for you! You know, take that extra five pounds off your shoulder." She said, giving him a begging smile.

"It's actually not as heavy as you think." Mako shrugged, denying the deal.

Korra started to panic even more once her warning alarm on her phone made the little machine vibrate in her pocket – telling her that if she didn't leave now, she was going to be late. "I'll start listening to you!"

The offer made Mako's ears perk up. "Go on." He said as he cracked a rare smiled and shifted his weight on his heels again.

Korra instantly regretted the offer, but it was her only way of getting what she wanted. "I'll start listening to you. That means I won't talk back, argue, or go against your ideas for the rest of the season. No matter how stupid they are." Korra said, mumbling the last part to herself as she turned her head away.

"Even at practice?" Mako added, wanting the deal to lean even more in his favor.

Korra narrowed her blue eyes at him. "Yes, even at practice." She added even though she hated the addition the idea.

Mako smiled down at his neighbor, feeling happy that he finally beat the stubborn girl in front of him. "Ok. Get in." Mako shrugged as he went to unlock the door.

"Oh my god! Thank you!" Korra smiled as she jumped up and hugged his neck, making the teen freeze for a moment from the surprise hug. She then hopped down and ran to her car to get her dance bag.

Mako stayed planted where he stood for a moment, replaying what just happened in his head. He then shrugged it off after soon noticing that Korra was making her way back to his car and instantly climbed into the driver's seat while Korra climbed in the passenger seat.

hr

Mako pulled into a small parking lot that was in front of a building he noticed before in town, but never really figured out what it was. After small arguments on the way, Korra directed Mako to her Dance studio that was in the center of town, and surprisingly on his way to the store. Korra unblocked her seatbelt and went in between hers and Mako's seat to grab her dance bag out of the back.

"Really Korra?" Mako snapped as he scooted away from her in his seat.

Korra grabbed her bag and sat back in her seat. "Oh calm down you big baby. I didn't break anything." Korra said as she looked at him with a smirk.

Mako sighed and moved back over in his seat. "What time am I picking you up?" He said as he rested his elbow on the door and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You don't have to pick me up." Korra responded as she grabbed her phone out the cup holder and saw that she was actually early.

"How else are you going to get home?" Mako added as he looked at her.

Korra thought for a moment and then slouched in her seat. "Fine. My class is over in an hour give or take." She said as she opened up the passenger side door.

"Ok, I'll be back in an hour." Mako confirmed as he shifted the car from park to reverse.

Korra jumped out of the SUV and thanked Mako again before closing the door. As she walked up to the door, she ran into a girl that was dressed almost like her, but wearing a t-shirt instead. The two greeted each other as they walked in the building.

"So, who was that dropping you off? Your boyfriend?" The girl asked while Korra was signing her name on a check-in list.

"What?!" Korra snapped as she looked at her friend. "No way! That was my neighbor. I had car troubles and asked him if he would drop me off and pick me up." Korra explained with a light laugh in her throat.

Her friend took in the information with a slight nod. "That stinks. You two would make a cute couple, appearance wise." The girl said she took the sheet from Korra and signed her name on it.

Korra played the thought in her head for a moment, thinking that she did think Mako was cute, but laughed at the idea of him being her boyfriend. "I don't think he would last a day as my boyfriend." She laughed before saying bye and walking to her class.

hr

Mako pulled back in the dance studio parking lot – with about ten minutes to spare – to pick up Korra. He was in the middle of a phone conversation with his mother as he turned his car off and stepped out. "No mom, I'm not driving… I just got out of my car, it was starting to get weird just sitting in it." Mako said as he started from the front door of the studio. "I'm picking up Korra from her dance class… She had car troubles this morning and her parents weren't home… Why do all of you think it's strange when I talk to her from time to time, she's my teammate and neighbor. I couldn't ignore her this morning when she was screaming and kicking her car." Mako added as he walked in the building, being greeted by a front desk and a crowd of moms watching a ballet class of what seemed to be six to ten year old girls. "Look mom, I'll call you back when I get home, ok?" Mako said as he stepped to the side to keep the doorway open. "Just let me know if you need me to get anything else… Ok, love you too. Bye." Mako ended the phone call with his mother as he walked back over to the welcoming desk.

"Hello, can I help you?" A girl, about Mako's age, asked as she looked up at him in her seat.

Mako shoved his phone in his jacket pocket and looked down at her. "Um, I'm here to see Korra. Brown hair, dark skin, she's wearing a yellow tank top." Mako said as he tried to describe Korra the best he could incase the girl didn't know her by name.

The receptionist looked up at Mako with a smirk and pointed eyebrow. "I know who Korra is. Her class is in Studio 5. It's right down that hall, on the left." She said as she turned in her chair and pointed toward the hallway on the right side of them. "She's in the middle of class though, so you'll have to wait in the waiting room right through the door."

Mako looked at the hallway the girl pointed at and nodded his head. "Ok, thanks." He said before walking away from the desk and toward the hallway.

"Who was that?" A different receptionist, looking as if she was in her early twenties, asked as she walked out of the back copy room as Mako walked away.

"Don't know." The teenage receptionist said as she shrugged her shoulders and went back to her computer. "He said he was here for Korra. I guess he's her boyfriend or something."

"I didn't know Korra was dating. I thought she would've gone out with Luka first since they've been partners for years." The older girl said, referring to Korra long-time dance partner as she put some files down on the desk. "But that guy was cute, and really tall."

Mako walked down the hallway he was directed to, looking at the few competition pictures that were hanging on the wall. He soon came across one of Korra that was taken a few weeks ago that Asami and Bolin made him go to. She was wearing her hair in a tight ponytail, a white halter top that proudly showed off her toned stomach and a neckline that covered half her neck and a matching white skirt that dropped to her ankles and had a mid thigh high slit. Korra was standing next to her dance partner – who was wearing a light grey dress vest and pants along with a white button down shirt and black bow tie – and holding up a first place trophy with him while they also help up their pointer finger with their free hands. Even after seeing her like that in person, Mako still had the same thought after seeing her like that the second time – she looked completely different that she usually did at school or home.

Mako walked in the door he was told to go and entered a small room with three rows of six or seven chairs – only about five of them filled with moms and bored siblings or friends – that all faced a wall that had a small door on one side and a majority of it covered with a window. Mako took a seat in a chair in the back of the room, wanting to stay close to the door he came through. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets, looking straight ahead at the window and watching what was going on in the studio room on the other side.

Korra seemed to be talking to a group of about eight girls and two guys – some of the girls Mako recognized from the school's dance team. She then threw her hands up and seemed to say something very enthusiastically before turning on her toes and walking a stereo system that was sitting on a stool in front of a huge mirror that covered one of the walls in the room. After Korra pressed the play button on the machine, Mako could hear a faint bass line begin to play that was soon followed by watch sounded like snapping. Korra walked back to the group and seemed to shout out something before her and the rest of the group started a routine. Mako watched partly because he was bored and a little curious of what the routine looked like. The first half of the routine, he was a little impressed with the dance – after easily figuring out that Korra was the teacher of the class and most likely made it up herself. As the group entered in the second half of the routine, Mako soon felt a little weird watching and decided that it was a good time to check his phone.

The routine soon came to a end and after every finished the count of the dance, a hug smile spread across Korra's face as she looked at the mirror from over her shoulder. "That was awesome!" She cheered as she threw her hands up and jumped in the air. She then ran over to the stereo to stop the music and pulled her phone off the docking station on it to check for messages. "I swear this day has just been the best. I wasn't late to class, I got my pay check when I came in, and-." Korra went on about her good luck that day, but suddenly stopped midsentence when she pulled her head away from her phone and looked through the window into the waiting room, locking eyes with a certain gold eyed teen for a few seconds. She snapped her head away from the window's direction, dropping her smile and slight panic setting in her mind. "And my luck just turned bad and embarrassing."

"What are you talking about Korra?" One of the girls asked Korra as she looked at her a little confused.

"Is that Mako in the waiting room?" One of the dance team girls asked nervously as she looked through the window. The rest of the dance team members grouped around her and commented in disbelief as they all looked as well.

"Oh my god! What's he doing here?" One of the dancers gushed, opening the gates to a flood of suspicions on why Mako was sitting in the waiting room and whether he watched the dance or not.

Korra just nervously walked over to her bag, deciding that answering her schoolmates' questions was not a good idea. "Um, you guys can go home now. Class is over. Bye." She shouted out to everyone as she tried to make herself look busy. With that said, Korra's schoolmates all filed outside in the waiting room – heading straight for Mako to get their questions answered – while everyone else went to grab their belongings and left.

Korra waited in the studio for the room to clear before deciding to actually pack up her bag and walk out. Mako stayed in his seat, happy and a little relieved that his schoolmates finally left. Once Korra stepped out of the studio room, Mako stood up from his seat while she locked the door behind her. "Ok, if you keep your mouth shut, I won't hit you." Korra said as she turned and started to walk through the waiting room, avoiding looked at Mako.

"What?" Mako said a little confused.

"Just don't talk." Korra snapped as she opened the waiting room door and started to head to the front of the building.

After returning the room key to the front desk, writing her name on the sigh-out sheet, and avoiding some obvious questions about the boy following her, Korra walked out of the building at a quick pace and instantly went to open the back passenger side door. "Did you go grocery shopping?" She asked as she raised an eyebrow at the plastic bags that were packed into the back seat of the car.

"Yeah. Why else was would I be in town?" Mako said as he walked to the driver side door and climbed in.

Korra was a little impressed with the news. "Whoever you marry is going to be happy about that." She mumbled to herself before throwing her bag in the back floorboard and climbed in the front passenger seat.

hr

"How are you best friends with Asami but your car looks like this?" Mako complained as he looked under the hood of Korra's white Jeep Wrangler.

Korra shrugged her shoulders as she walked out of her garage with two red Gatorades in her hands. "I don't know. She never really looked at it before. My dad always took it to the shop if he thought something was wrong with it." She then handed Mako the second Gatorade as she stood next to him and looked at the guts of her car, trying to figure out what could be wrong with it. "I just fill it up and get the oil changed when the lights come on and pay for any damages. Is it really that bad?"

Shortly after the two arrived back at their houses, Mako suggested that he would look at Korra's Jeep after he unloaded his car, wanting to see if the problem was a simple fix and if he could save her from taking it to the auto shop and spending unnecessary money.

Mako placed the bottle on the ground and looked back at the many problems with his neighbor's car. He pushed his hair back before taking off his jacket, not wanting to get the sleeves covered in oil or any kind of other dirt. "Well for starters, your battery is corroded. That's probably why your engine didn't turn over." Mako said as he pointed at Korra's battery, showing her that the blue foam looking stuff around the post of the battery was corrosion. "Also, your belt it worn out and if you don't change it soon, it might snap while you're driving."

"So, I need to take it to the shop?" Korra guessed, trying to understand what he was talking about.

"Of course you need to take it to the shop, but I don't think driving it would be safe. You might have to get it towed.

"What?!" Korra practically shouted as she looked up at him in a panic. "Towing is expensive! Can't you just fix this?"

"The belt I could try. But for the battery you'll have to ask Asami." Mako shrugged as he looked down at Korra.

Korra groaned in annoyance from Mako's answer. "But she won't be back from Panama till the end of the week." She complained.

"Then I guess ask your dad about it." Mako shrugged. "Would he mind if I borrowed his tools?"

"Knock yourself out." Korra snapped, still fuming over the idea of talking to her dad about paying for a new battery.

After a few minutes, and a long talk with her dad, Korra slouched in the front seat of her car and threw her phone in the passenger seat. "What did your dad say?" Mako asked as he worked on changing out the drive belt of her car.

"He said that he'll pay for the battery then gave me a long talk of keeping up with my car if I don't want it blowing out on me before I graduate." Korra responded starting straight at the propped open hood in front of her.

"Well you do need to keep up with it." Mako responded as he continued to work.

Korra shot up and stood in her seat and through the open frame of her Jeep. "Hey! Shut it! You're not my dad!"

Mako looked up at her with an unimpressed look. "What happened to our deal?"

"We're not at a game or practice." Korra instantly shot back, causing Mako to roll his amber colored eyes at her and go back to work. Korra stayed standing in her seat and thought about the day for a moment. "You know, in a strange way this is kind of nice."

"What are you talking about?" Mako asked, focusing more on what he was doing than his teammate's words.

Korra propped an elbow on the frame of her car and rested her cheek on her fist. "I mean, we're actually talking and hanging out – just the two of us. No serious arguing what so ever. I think this is a first."

Mako shrugged his shoulders. "We go to the same school, you're my teammate and neighbor, and best friends with my little brother; it was bound to happen." He said, brushing off the subject as no big deal.

A little bit of Korra kind of agreed with him, thinking it was no big deal. "Yeah, but it's still kind of nice."

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Feedback is greatly loved.


	8. Chapter 8

_Back to Normal._

Text from Asami to Korra:

**So, a little birdie told me that you had your own personal chauffeur over Fall Break.**

**What?**

**The little blonde that I lift told me that she saw Mako driving you around town over Fall Break. What's going on? I thought you two didn't like each other?**

**Oh that. Well, at the beginning I had some car troubles and sort of begged Mako to drive me to my dance class. And then after I dropped it off at the shop, the mechanic said that it was worse than what we thought after doing a full check and I was carless for the rest of the break and Mako had a fully gassed up car and nothing to do.**

**Why did you take your car to the shop? I could've fixed it for you.**

**YOU WERE IN PANAMA! X(**

**Right… Sorry. I got you a new razorback. Don't hate me. ^3^**

**What color is it?**

**Pink… But it's neon pink and it says 'Panama City' on it in black graffiti.**

**You're forgiven.**

**Yay! Now that that's over… I get Mako taking you to your class the first day, but taking you almost every day, even super early in the morning, and picking you up and you hanging out with him around town while he ran errands is what confuses me.**

**How do you know all that?**

**You live across the street from one of my teammates and word travels fast among the underclassmen when Mako's involved.**

**I guess that's why I've been getting more dance team girls in my classes during the break…**

Text from Bolin to Korra:

**Korra… Do you have anything you want to tell me?**

**What are you talking about Bo?**

**What did you and my brother do over Fall Break? You two are acting weird at practice and it SCARES ME!**

**Nothing. He just drove me around while my car was in the shop and in return I promised to listen to him at practice and games for the rest of the season. Calm down.**

**Ok then. That explains the looks now.**

**What looks?**

**Well, today at practice, after you told Mako that his practice plan was stupid and pointless, he gave you what I call the 'Shut up or I'll make you pee your bed' look that he usually gives me when I'm about to say something that will get him in trouble.**

**'Shut up or I'll make you pee your bed' look?**

**Mako used to do that whole hand in warm water prank on me whenever I got him in trouble when we were kids…**

**Wow.**

Text from Korra to Mako:

**Hey Cap!**

**What do you want?**

**Why do you always think I want something? What if I just wanted to have a nice conversation with my awesome and nice team captain?**

**You never call me Cap unless you want something. So what is it?**

**Can you pick me up from my dance class next Wednesday morning and take me to school?**

**Your car is out of the shop. Why do you need a ride?**

**Because it's sort of back in the shop and I won't get it back till after school that day…**

**What did you do this time? I thought they fixed everything?**

**They did! Until I accidently backed into a wall and broke a tail light and caused a chain reaction of problems on the inside…**

**You need a new car.**

**NO! SHUT UP JERK!**

**Have fun walking to school on Wednesday.**

**I'm sorry.**

Text from Asami to Mako:

**You know, if you asked Korra out instead of peeping in her room all the time, you two would make a cute couple with you being super tall compared to her.**

**Stop sending these or delete my number. Either one would be great, thanks.**

**You're no fun. #-.-**

**Your text faces aren't threatening.**

Text from Bolin to Mako:

**MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO MAKO!**

**Stop that! You're going to crash my phone again!**

**But I'm bored!**

**You should be paying attention to your teacher!**

**You too! Can I steal your Xbox today?**

**Why?**

**Korra's coming over to play FIFA and it'll be weird if we're playing it in YOUR room.**

**Dad's going to make you move it to the living room.**

**I know!**

**Ok, you can borrow it.**

* * *

><p>Mako was sitting at his computer, typing away on an essay for his AP English class about the book <em>The Catcher in the Rye<em>. Once he finished his opening paragraph and began to check over his notes to see if he covered everything he needed, Bolin busted through the door and went straight his brother's television cabinet.

"Ever heard of knocking?" Mako said as he continued to compare his notes to what he had of his essay at the moment.

Bolin just rolled his eyes and knocked on the doors of the cabinet. "There you go." Bolin smiled before opening up the door and going to work with disconnecting Mako's Xbox from his television. Mako shook his head at his brother as he went back to typing his essay. "Hey bro, where's the system plugged in at?" Bolin asked as he looked over the gaming system, finding that he unplugged everything but the power cord.

"Behind the cabinet." Mako answered without looking at Bolin. "You have to unplug it from the back then pull it through the hole."

Bolin stood up from where he was sitting and walked over to the back of the TV cabinet. While the brothers were distracted with their task, Korra made her way up the stairs and poked her head through Mako's bedroom door. "Hey Bo, your dad said to tell you that your room stinks and that we can't play the Xbox till it's fixed." She said instantly, making both Mako and Bolin jump.

Bolin then hit himself in the forehead once he realized what she was talking about. "Oh yeah, I forgot to clean Pabu's cage. Can you take the Xbox down stairs while I do that?" Bolin asked as he stood up from the floor.

"Sure." Korra shrugged as she walked over to where Bolin was sitting on the floor. "What am I suppose to do?" She asked as she looked behind the cabinet.

"You just need to unplug it from the wall," Bolin said as he pointed at the power strip, "I don't know which one it is though, so you might have to try them all."

"Or you can pull on the power cord on the Xbox to see which one it is instead of messing up my stuff." Mako included as he worked on his essay.

Korra leaned back on her feet as she raised an eyebrow at him. "AP English? Gross." She said once she noticed the class title on Mako's paper, making it seem like an insult back to him.

"Aren't you in AP Human Anatomy though?" Bolin asked as he looked down at Korra after standing up.

"That's different. It's not a core class and super easy." Korra responded as she started to pull on the power cord of the Xbox to see which cord was the right one.

"And yet you're barely keeping a B in both science and math, but you have a 100 in your AP class." Mako added dryly.

"Shut up!" Korra snapped as she looked over at Mako before she unplugged the gaming system.

Bolin laughed a little and the two's small fight. "Ok, I'm going to clean out Pabu's cage real quick. Mom can help you hook the Xbox up down stairs." Korra responded with an 'ok' before Bolin ran out of the room and down the hall to his.

She then gathered all the wires together and wrapped them around the consol before standing up and looking in the television cabinet for the game. "Mako where are your games?"

"Top drawer." Mako answered quickly, not moving in his seat.

Korra opened the top draw that was just below his television and grabbed the soccer video game her and Bolin were going to play. "Thanks Cap." She smiled before closing the drawer and walking out.

"You're welcome. Close the door on your way out, thanks." Mako said back, Korra nodding her head and doing what he asked as she left his room.

* * *

><p>Feedback is greatly loved.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

_Mirrors._

"Why do we have to be up this early?" Bolin whined as he walked out of his parents' garage with his jacket half off his shoulder and dragging his book bag behind him. "The sun's not even out yet."

"We're up this early because we have to pick up Korra at her class. Sorry, but if you hate this so much, you should tell her to stop sending her sorry excuse for a car to the shop." Mako said as he walked out in front, fully awake and ready to go, and unlocked the door to his car. "Be happy that we didn't have to take her to her class."

Bolin groaned in response and he climbed in the front passenger seat of his brother's black SUV. As Mako threw his book bag in the back seat, Bolin reclined the passenger seat all the way and tried to fall back asleep. "Bo, Korra's going to need room to get in." Mako said as he just stared at his little brother.

"You can still stare at her if she's behind you." Bolin mumbled as he rolled on his side to get a more comfortable position even though his seatbelt wouldn't allow it.

After a narrowed stare, Mako leaned forward and flicked Bolin in the back of his head. Ignoring his brother's cry of pain and the name calling, Mako then climbed in the front driver seat and turning on the car.

The small town was still sleepy with barely any cars on the road and store lights still off with closed signs hanging in the windows. Mako pulled into the small parking lot of the dance studio building that he's been to more times than he ever expected. "Bo will you go tell Korra that we're here?" Mako said as he turned off the car engine, knowing very well what will happen if he walked in instead. "Bo, did you hear me?" He said after not getting a response from his little brother. Mako then looked over to find Bolin passed out asleep in the passenger seat. "Are you serious?" Mako groaned as he threw his head back against his headrest.

The studio was filled with its usual flowery scent that would always hit Mako whenever he walked in. He stood in front of the doorway with his hands in his hoodie pocket while he looked around the small waiting room. Mako looked through the big window of the main dance room and saw three people inside, two of them being Korra and a young girl dancing through a routine to the song "Chandelier" by Sai – a song Mako knew of and listened to now and then – and the third person he recognized as the owner of the studio and Korra's dance instructor.

"Hey Mako, what are you doing here?" A familiar voice said from the desk.

Mako turned around and saw the same twenty-something year old that he met on his first visit at the studio. "Hi Amy." He greeted. "Korra put her car back in the shop so she needs a ride to school." He explained as the silence of the music caught his attention and he turned his head to find Korra standing with her back to the window and listening to what her instructor had to say.

Korra had her hair up in a messy bun, with little flyaway hairs falling out around the base of her neck and around her bangs. She was also wearing a black razorback tank top that overlapped with a pair of black yoga capris. Then on her feet, instead of her usual pair of Adidas hip hop shoe, were a pair of flats that were a few shades lighter than her skin color.

"Oh yeah, it's Wednesday. Her dad goes to work early today. Oh well, she'll be done in a few minutes." Amy said as she shrugged and put down the stack of event flyers she was carrying on the counter. "You can go sit down if you want."

Mako nodded his head as he walked over to the small group of chairs in front of the dance room window, sitting in the back in the seat closet to the exit like usual. As the music was getting close to the chorus, Korra and the younger girl ended up next to each other and began to sync up with each other for the opening of the chorus. As the chorus hit its climax, Korra and her partner split up to do their own routines, the young girl jumping through the air and doing a few ballet moves while Korra spun off to the side and as the music became more intense, Korra's spinning started to get faster and faster. As the climax was getting closer and closer to its point, Korra's foot slips on the floor as she tries to do a final kick for momentum and she instantly fell down and practically ate the floor.

Mako flinched as he watched his friend fall flat on her face and hearing a small thud with the impact over the music. Back at the desk, Amy could be heard hissing from mentally feeling Korra's pain and saying, "That one had to hurt," under her breath. Mako looked back at her, wanting to ask what she meant when she said i_that one_/i but decided against it and instead distract himself with his phone, looking up at the window in front of him now and then.

* * *

><p>"Korra are you ok?" Korra's younger dance partner asked as she hurried over to her side.<p>

Korra pushed herself up as her instructor turned off the music and hurries over herself. "Yeah Jinora, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? That one really seemed to hurt." Korra's instructor said as approached the two girls. "You really messed up your elbow this time." She said as she finally got a good look at Korra's arm after she sat up.

Korra crossed her legs in front of her and she curiously looked at her elbow, seeing the slight discoloration that her instructor was talking about. "I think there's no need for the first aid kit Kya." She said as she stretched out her injured arm to see what the pain level for the injury was.

"I think we should take out a few of those spins and add something else instead." Kya suggested as she shifted her weight on one foot and put her hand on her hip. "We don't need you slipping and falling at the competition."

"Yeah!" Jinora cheered as she looked at Korra with her wide brown eyes. "You can do one of your aerials instead. Those always look pretty!" She cheered as she clapped her hands together.

Korra chuckled a little and she pushed herself on her feet. "I'm fine, really. Just watch, a few more practices – and maybe going barefoot," Korra said as she glanced down her dance shoes, "I'll get the move right. I always do." She finished, allowing both Kya and Jinora to give each other concerned looked for the optimistic teen. Korra stubbornly poked out her bottom lip after seeing their not impressed looks. "Look, can we just go over it one more time, please?" She said as she walked between the two and to her starting point on the floor.

Once Korra lifted her head to mentally ready herself to the routine for the umpteenth time that morning, instead of meeting her faint reflection in the window, she saw nothing but a familiar face and a red hoodie. Mako looked up from his phone and gave Korra a small wave of his head once he realized that she was looking at him. "On second thought, I have school and really want some breakfast, so I'm going to run." Korra said as she spun on her heel and quickly walked over to where her bag was in the room, a light blush trying to make its way across her face.

Jinora and Kya both looked at Korra confused as they watched her walk across the room. Jinora then whipped her head around toward the window and saw the only person in the waiting room stand up from his seat. "Hey, isn't that your neighbor?" Jinora asked as she looked back over at Korra. "I thought you were friends with the other one."

"I'm friends with Mako too, Jinora." Korra said as she threw on a wide neck, light gray sweater over her head, pulling it down to revile a black Polaroid camera that was designed to look like street art on the front.

"He's too cute to be just a friend." Kya added as she shamelessly continued to stare at the visiting teen through the window.

"Aunt Kya!" Jinora said shocked as she stared up at her aunt, not really knowing who she was anymore.

"What, he is." Kya said as she shrugged her shoulders. "You need to go get ready for school to. I'm not having your dad get mad at me again for getting you there late."

Korra just quietly let the two bicker while she packed her bags, making sure she had everything in her school book bag before she left the studio. Once everything was in order to her standards, Korra threw on her book bag and then her dance bag as she stood up. "I'll see you two tomorrow morning and actually be on time for once." Korra said as she started to walk to the door.

"Is Mako going to bring you tomorrow?" Jinora asked, sounding a little more enthused than she should have.

"No. I'll have my car tomorrow." Korra replied back as she opened the door.

"Bolin is asleep in the front, so you'll have to sit in the back." Mako said as he checked his phone and saw that Korra was walking out.

A small smile grew on Korra's face once she heard the news. "Great, that means I can change pants." Mako raised a pointed eyebrow at her for a moment, slit fear in his eyes from the statement. Korra looked at him a little confused as she thought about what she said for a moment. "Oh get your mind out of the gutter City Boy. I'm just going to put sweat pants on." She said as she continued on toward the door, with Mako pushing himself out of his seat and following behind her.

Korra said her quick goodbye to Amy before pushing the door in and almost skipping out to Mako's car, her hand on the back door handle on the driver's side as she waited for Mako to come outside as well. "It's open." Mako said once he walked out and saw Korra waiting. Right on cue, Korra pulled the door open and threw her dance bag inside, aiming away from Bolin's head, and then climbed in the car.

Once Mako sat in the driver's seat and settled in and started the car he looked in the rearview mirror and saw that a certain dark skinned brunette was blocking his view. "Korra, can you please move? You're blocking my view." Mako said as he sat back and just looked at the studio wall in front of him.

Korra, who was busy taking down her bun, looked up at him to register what he said. She then looked in the rearview mirror and saw what he was talking about. "Sorry." She mumbled as she scooted over behind Mako's seat.

* * *

><p>"Why are you getting mad at me for? I warned you!" Korra practically shouted at Mako and the both of them and Bolin all walked into the school's front entrance.<p>

"You said you were going to be putting them on OVER what you had on. Not completely change in the back of my car!" Mako responded sternly as he tried to lower his tone some to not start a scene.

"I still warned you." Korra shrugged as she started her way toward the cafeteria entrance.

"Wow, you fall asleep for a few minutes and miss everything." Bolin chimed in as he passed his brother and walked behind Korra.

Mako just groaned out of annoyance from the two's ignorance as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

* * *

><p>Feedback is greatly loved and recommended.<p> 


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